Iowa’s Evans thrives with toughness

IOWA CITY - Mike Evans has parlayed a mean and tough demeanor into success at the University of Iowa.

His attitude serves as his calling card as much as the trademark bushy mustache.

The Hawkeyes' 174-pound senior thrives on tough challenges and why he is looking forward to top-ranked Iowa's dual at No. 5 Penn State on Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa.

Second-ranked Evans expects to face No. 3 Matt Brown (19-2). They have split six college meetings the past two years. Evans is the lone unbeaten Iowa starter, owning a 20-0 record and coming off an overtime win against Minnesota's fourth-ranked Logan Storley.

'You have to get up and continue to get up,” Evans said. 'That's a little adversity in itself just going from match-to-match and having tough match after tough.

'If you look at it, it's just getting ready for the end of the year for Big Ten (Championships), because I'm going to see the same guys back to back to back anyway.”

The 174-pound weight class seems to be the top-four contenders and the rest of the field. A win over Brown could help trim that group to two with Evans and Nebraska's top-ranked Robert Kokesh.

'You have four guys who want to battle, four guys who want to get some bloodshed,” Evans said. 'It makes for some tough exciting wrestling.”

Heavyweight Bobby Telford said he recalled Evans standing with other All-Americans before taking the award stand. As others talked, Evans wanted nothing to do with them.

'I'm a competitor,” Evans said. 'I'm a sore loser, but I'm a sore winner, too.”

Telford has history with Evans, rooming with him as a freshman. The pair arrived two weeks early to get to know each other and some of the few in the dorms besides cleaning staff preparing for the upcoming year.

Evans said the experience was 'hysterical” and mentioned there were some interesting times, including some fun wrestling with former Hawkeye football players C.J. Fiedorowicz and Marcus Coker.

Telford knows Evans well and said there is a reason why opponents don't like him.

'He's a (ticked) off guy,” Telford said. 'He's a wild child. He does what he does on the mat and he's disciplined in his lifestyle and he does what he does best.”

What about that facial hair that has appeared on shirts and mimicked by Iowa fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena?

'He's got that mustache,” Telford said. 'Heck, that's his logo.”

Iowa assistant Ryan Morningstar wrestles with Evans occasionally. He said if you let up against Evans you will find yourself driven into nearby equipment or the bleachers off the mat in the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex.

'The only difference between these guys and competition is I can be friends with these guys,” Evans said. 'Other guys I'm not going to be friends with.

'I'll put you where I can find a place to put you.”

Hawkeye freshman Burke Paddock has practiced with Evans. He said Evans is a brawler and the same tough wrestler seen in competition.

'He just never stops wrestling,” Paddock said. 'He's always going. I don't think I've wrestled anyone better.”

Evans is a three-time Big Ten finalist and has placed sixth at the last two NCAA Championships. He isn't satisfied with matching his previous accomplishments. The all-American plaques are stashed away and collecting dust, according to Evans.

'They aren't what I wanted,” Evans said. 'I got those, so I don't want those anymore. I want what is ahead.”

The Hawkeyes (11-0, 6-0) have a chance for another quality road win. A victory against Penn State would clinch a share of the conference regular-season dual title for the seventh time in eight seasons.

The Nittany Lions red-shirted NCAA finalist and three-time All-American Nico Megaludis and All-American Zain Retherford, but still have a 10-2 record, including a 6-2 Big Ten mark.

'Everybody talks about Penn State might be down here or there,” Brands said, 'but we have to be ready for that, for sure.”

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